Grifter's Game (Hard Case Crime)

Customer Reviews:

I'm hooked on Lawrence Block, and Hard Case Crime!.......2007-08-13

I first stumbled upon the Hard Case Crime line, and of Lawrence Block with the book "Lucky at Cards." I enjoy poker and seeing the title had me interested. I purchased the book and instantly fell in love with the writing of Block, and the Hard Case Crime genre of books. After reading and loving "Lucky at Cards." I have since bought four other Hard Case Crime books, including the title you are here to read about, "Grifter's Game". This was my second Block book, and I equally enjoyed it as much his previous title that I read. Bottom line is, if you like Crime Noir you will love Hard Case Crime, and Lawrence Block. Get this book, and others from Block and Hard Case Crime, you will not be disappointed. Happy Reading!

Love his writing!.......2007-05-09

This book is fantastic...I gave it five stars for being totally entertaining. The style is brilliant, vivid. You find yourself in the mind of a complete narcissist, albeit a charming and amusing one. You are literally sucked into the story he tells, and even feel for him. About two-thirds of the way through I found myself beginning to loathe him and his self-amused "con." By the end, the whole bloody thing was curdled, but still I had to drink every drop. I read another Block(buster) about a fatal secretary who wants to get revenge on her boss - I forget the title, sorry - it was just as fascinating, just as sexy. Darn, he's good!

Great but not Block's best .......2007-01-19

I consider Block's best way astounding so I have high standards when I see his name on the cover.

The reader for this audio book is PERFECT. He has the best crime noir voice and inflections you could ask for. Cool, ironic and skillful--his persona of Joe (the book's in first person) never slips.

I'd give it five stars, but the characters don't feel as three dimensional as Block's usual people. No quirks, nothing to make them feel entirely real--although Joe did come close. I missed Block's humor (there were bits here and there). Still, it's skillfully written and I stayed up late listening, trying to figure out what Joe would do and being surprised by the answer.

One of Blocks best books.......2006-09-18

Having read around thirty of Blocks books, I would be the last person to say that this is an author who allways hits it out of the park. On one hand, Block is responsible for what could be the best crime/mystery series ever to grace a bookstores shelves with his Matt Scudder work. On the other, Block is a writer who must have churned out three or four books a year during his peak and quite a few of them feel like second rate efforts. If you work your way back to his earlier works, most of them feel very dated and contrived, so it was very shocking for me to pick up Grifters Game and find that it was first rate all of the way through.

Grifters Game is about Joe Marlin, a grifter who lives off of others through petty schemes and back handed manuvers. He travels around from one town to another, living high at hotels he has no intention of paying the bills for. Suddenly he finds that his situation has changed when he swipes the luggage of a respectable looking business man and things start to happen.

The over all mood of this book is classic. I cant think of another book that sets itself in the noir genre which so utterly typifies the feel of 'noir' generated here. The characters all have layers of societal dirt, they're ruthless and calculating. Marlin comes off as both sympathetic and hard boiled to the bone, making him a perfect mass of contradictions. The protagonists are smart, not dumbed down, and the prose is tight.

Block really pulls in a mood here that is worth checking out. I think I read that this book was first published in 1961. If so, it has stood up admirably over the test of time. I would not hesitate to buy this book. If you have read it, and want a suggestion for another read, I would suggest Charles Willeford's Hoke Moseley series.

A con is conned!.......2006-06-17

Grifter's Game is a Hard Case crime series reprint of a book written over 40 years agol by Lawrence Block. Joe Marlin is a con-man, enjoying meeting rich, married women, taking their money, then moving on.

Then he meets Mona. They sleep together and the next morning says, "what are you doing with my husband's luggage?" Days earlier, Marlin had stolen it at a train station. In the luggage was heroin and now Mona and Marlin must decide what to do. Meanwhile, Marlin is falling for Mona.

This is a well-written story about some bad people, and that is the problem. No where in the story was I sympathetic with any of the characters. They never did anything that could be considered nice. Even evil people have good qualities, but Joe and Mona did not. Out of the four I've read, this was my least favorite Hard Case book.

Average customer rating:

Gamblers Grifters and Good Ol' Boys
Bob Mason
Manufacturer: Lyle Stuart
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

United States | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Average customer rating:

Beware - Not all the same book.

Childhood Memories
Snow White and Rose Red
Barbara Cooney
Manufacturer: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Cooney, Barbara | ( C ) | Authors & Illustrators, A-Z | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Snow White | Fairy Tales & Folk Tales | Popular Characters | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Nutcracker

Joy to the World: A Family Christmas Treasury

The Frog Princess

Night Before Christmas

The Tale of The Firebird

ASIN: 0385301758
Release Date: 1991-01-01

Customer Reviews:

Beware - Not all the same book........2007-09-28

Amazon has confused several different items. They have attached the "Editorial reviews" for a hardcover book of the Brothers Grimm's Snow White and Rose Red illustrated by Gennady Spirin and published by Philomel to a School & Library book illustrated by James Weren with cartoon-style illustrations and an adudio cassette, both published by Troll Associates. Other versions of this classic fairy tale with different illustrators have their own separate reviews as these completely different items should. When dealing with children's picture books, different illustrators create entirely different books. All the Spirin and Werren versions share is a title.

Childhood Memories.......2000-05-12

I remember reading this story over and over in elementary school. It was a favorite for everyone in my class and would create fights over who got to borrow it from the classroom. One of my fondest memories of 2nd grade was performing a play of this story.

Best in Children's Books - Snow White and Rose Red

Average customer rating:

Best in Children's Books - Snow White and Rose Red
Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm , Gladys Schwarcz , Marguerite Henry , James Baldwin , Charles Edward Carryl , Elizabeth Coatsworth , Rose Fyleman , Dorothy Dodworth , and Harriet E. Huntington
Manufacturer: Nelson Doubleday, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Product Description

Snow White and Rose Red by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm; America's Wonderful National Parks by Gladys Schwarcz; The Little Fellow by Marguerite Henry; Frederick Barbarossa retold by James Baldwin; A Capital Ship by Charles Edward Carryl; Old Whirlwind by Elizabeth Coatsworth; The Mouse with the Bobbed Whiskers by Rose Fyleman; A Dangerous Day for Mrs. Doodlepunk by Dorothy Dodworth; The Heart of the Band by Harriet E. Huntington; and Let's Go to Five Little Countries.

Rose Red and Snow White: A Grimms Fairy Tale

Average customer rating:

fail to love up to the promise of this great fable
Beautifully illustrated little-known fairy tale
Beautiful although little known fairy tale
a grandmother's wish
I AM 15

Rose Red and Snow White: A Grimms Fairy Tale
Jacob Grimm , and Wilhelm Grimm
Manufacturer: Little Brown & Co (Juv)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Picture Books | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

King Midas and the Golden Touch

ASIN: 0316770949

Customer Reviews:

fail to love up to the promise of this great fable.......2004-11-10

Technically perfect drawings and word-perfect text still fail to love up to the promise of this great fable.
Even though almost all of the illustrations are very good, & the story follows the original exactly, it doesn't have a whole lot of vitality or excitement. I would prefer a little mysticism to the banality of these illustrations & text.
Obviously this is my personal opinion, but I feel Ruth Sanderson has done better.

Beautifully illustrated little-known fairy tale.......2002-10-01

I bought this about a year ago for a little girl, aged 5. Her older sister (aged 8) also ended up loving it. The story is a simple one - two young girls Snow White and Rose Red living deep in the woods give refuge to a bear. Later they encounter a dwarf who is consistently rude to them. They rescue him several times, but receive no thanks in return. Much later, the bear shows up, kills the dwarf (who it turns out pull a spell on him). And lo - a handsome prince appears. He and his brother marry Snow White and Rose Red.

The pictures in this book are beautifully drawn, with little details making the story come alive. I was lucky enough to find this book on sale, but I think it would be worth adding to the library of a child loving fairy tales.

Beautiful although little known fairy tale.......1999-04-30

I made my mom read this story so many times I actually memorized every word. This was my most favorite story ever and the reason I learned to love reading. Stories like this where evil is punished and good rewarded teach a needed lesson these days. I am so glad This book can still be found! I am buying it to read to my newborn daughter.

a grandmother's wish.......1998-05-22

when i was little my grandmother read this book to my sisters and I. She always said no little girl could go with out knowing the storie of snowwhite and her sister rose red. i have looked everywhere for this book. i am happy to finally find this book and beable to share it with my daughter.

I AM 15.......1997-12-28

I am 15.But I atill LOVE fairy tales.The orignely story of ROSE RED and SNOW WHITE is one of my faviourtes.But it was retoled by Patrica and I liked that book much better.

Snow White and Rose Red: Story by the Brothers Grimm

Average customer rating:

Snow White and Rose Red: Story by the Brothers Grimm
Brothers Grimm
Manufacturer: Barnes & Noble
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Fairy Tales | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0760706719

Average customer rating:

The intellect's fairy tale
Snow White and Rose Red
Wonderful retelling of old fairy tale
Please, re-release this book!
I finally found it!

Snow White And Rose Red (Fairy Tales)
Patricia Wrede
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0812534972

Customer Reviews:

The intellect's fairy tale.......2005-10-15

I myself have not read any of Wrede's other ouvre, but I first read this novel when I was a sophmore in college. The story was engaging, although I wasn't certain about the diction at times. The presentation kept me hooked and open a new interest for me. My old copy is battered and worn, but I hope the book will be released again so that I may replace my beloved copy.

Snow White and Rose Red.......2002-03-13

I had this book when I was a kid, and I loved it. I enjoyed the spin that this story put on the original fairy tale. I seem to remember another book that was a collection of fairy tale stories with the same type of concept. I recommend this book and, if you can find it, the collection to anyone with a child and to anyone who just wants to relive their favorite fairy tales with a twist.

Wonderful retelling of old fairy tale.......2001-11-21

This was the first book by Ms. Wrede that I ever read. I enjoyed the characters, setting, and use of real people. I also enjoyed the elements from the original that she kept and how she incorporated them into her version. A very satisfying read.

Please, please, please re-release this book!

Please, re-release this book!.......2001-08-26

I was curious about this book, since I loved the Enchanted Forest Chronicles so much, and also because I had read Jane Yolen's Briar Rose, another book from the Fairy Tale series. Finally, after frantic searching online to buy it (where the cheapest copy of this book I could find was an expensive poor copy of the book, and I don't really like spending lots of money on paperbacks), I found this book in my local library, and read it. It wasn't as good as Dealing with Dragons or the other books that I have read by Patricia C. Wrede, but it was still good. I had never heard the fairy tale of Snow White AND Rose Red, so I was a little confused (I was thinking that it would be like the Disney movie of Snow White). Wrede summarized the true fairy tale bit by bit before each chapter. It wasn't really a modern-day telling of the fairy tale, like Briar Rose was, but just a retelling. Wrede tried to use archaic language (lots of thee's and thou's), and that slowed down the story. That is my only complaint about the book. I am hoping that eventually this book will be rereleased so I can add it to my collection of the Fairy Tale Series, or maybe that I'll find a copy of it used for cheap, but I'm glad I read it. It wasn't as good as I hoped, but it was still okay. If you want a better Wrede book, read the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, or try reading Briar Rose by Jane Yolen.

I finally found it!.......2001-02-08

I read this book several years ago at the library, and then could not for the life of me find it again. I've just ordered a used one, however, and couldn't be happier. I love re-told fairy tales, and this is definintly a good one. Patricia Wrede is a wonderful author when she's serious, and hysterical when she's not (ex. Enchanted Forest Chronicles), and this is a fine example of the former.

Average customer rating:

Old School Story, Still Popular

Snow-White and Rose-Red

Manufacturer: Chicago: Rand McNally and Company, 1967
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000E4N806

Product Description

Size is about 8 x 10

Customer Reviews:

Old School Story, Still Popular.......2007-03-11

This is a story I remembered loving as a child. It is not as politically correct as today's children's literature -- a troll displays all kinds of rude behavior and then is killed at the end by a "Bear". My girls (3 and 6) gave this book and all its elements lots of thought and it prompted considerable discussion. In the end, however, the story illustrates great love between two sisters which has made this one of my girls' favorites as well.

Average customer rating:

My First Matthew Hope
Great read...
Masterpiece

Snow White and Rose Red
Ed McBain
Manufacturer: Warner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0446601330

Customer Reviews:

My First Matthew Hope.......2005-02-28

I am an avid fan of Stuart Kaminsky, John D. MacDonald, Cornell Woolrich, and Jim Thompson. Ed McBain fits in incredibly nicely with this amazing authors. I had read Ed McBain before - "Cop Hater" and his incredibly delightful retelling of the Christmas Story with the officers of the 87th precinct. As Evan Hunter, Ed McBain soars as the author of "The Blackboard Jungle." If you haven't seen the movie, you should. Anyway, I will digress... my point is that Ed McBain is a wonderful writer and not to be missed.
This book features Matthew Hope, a Florida attorney, who is hired by Sarah Whittaker to get her out of an institution for the insane. The novel goes back and forth with Matthew believing that she is sane and perfectly normal, not to mention incredibly attractive, and utterly crazy. He tends to go toward the idea that she is normal, probably because she not only seems to know what is going on, but also because he would love to be involved romantically with her. Did I mention that she's due to inherit over a billion dollars?
The plot twists and turns over the delusions that Sarah is supposed to possess and the discovery of a decomposing body in the swampy areas of the Florida coast. It seems for a long time that the two plots have nothing to do with one another. Or do they? Well, I won't spoil any plot points, but I do want to say that the final explanation is a wonderfully brilliant stream of consciousness (in my opinion, delivered in a much better way than Virginia Wolf) that was so eloquent that it will stay with me for years to come.
I read somewhere that Evan Hunter didn't want to use his real name when writing mysteries because he didn't think the genre was "serious" enough, thus coming up with the pseudonymn Ed McBain. Well, he had nothing to be ashamed of... Matthew Hope is a hero for the ages, all the while maintaining the appeal of Travis McGee and Toby Peters-- real men characters.

Great read..........2004-01-12

This is a pretty short novel featuring Matthew Hope as a lawyer who often ends up playing detective (also an older book... 1985). In this story, there are two plot lines going on. In the first, Hope is retained by a young lady who's been involuntarily committed to a mental institution. She seems very sane, and blames the situation on her mother who is trying to control a chunk of money she's inherited. In the other plot line (that seems totally unrelated), a pair of detectives find the body of a young lady in a swamp. She was shot in the throat and her tongue was cut out, and she's been there for six to nine months. As the two plots unfold, they start moving towards each other with a twist at the end... Good read.

Masterpiece.......2003-07-21

Probably the best of the Matthew Hope novels. Excellent plotting and characterizations. The cops, Bloom and Rawles, are wonderful, full dimensional characters. I love Matthew Hope's naivete, he's an unreliable narrator who has a "hope"ful view of humanity, unlike McBain himself, or whatever his name is. This one's great!

Best in Children's Books - SNOW WHITE AND ROSE RED, AMERICA'S WONDERFUL NATIONAL PARKS ET AL

Average customer rating:

Best in Children's Books - SNOW WHITE AND ROSE RED, AMERICA'S WONDERFUL NATIONAL PARKS ET AL

Manufacturer: nelson doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000CR3WP6

Product Description

10 STORIES IN ALL

Average customer rating:

Cinderella and Snow White and Rose Red

Manufacturer: Merrigold Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000P8I5UE

Average customer rating:

Grimm's Fairy Tales

Manufacturer: Scholastic Book Services
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000FB8QKK

Product Description

19 tales of spells and charms, trees that dance and geese that sing and a bear that talks and may be a king.

Average customer rating:

Highly recommended; fun and funny

Alacrity and the Precursors!

Fall of the White Ship Avatar
Brian Daley
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Daley, Brian | ( D ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Requiem for a Ruler of Worlds: (Alacrity FitzHugh and Hobart Floyt, No 1)

Jinx On a Terran Inheritance: (#2)

Serenity [HD DVD]

ASIN: 0345329198
Release Date: 1986-12-12

Customer Reviews:

Highly recommended; fun and funny.......2000-06-08

Book 3 of the chronicles of Hobart Floyt and Alacrity Fitzhugh

The third and final novel in the Hobart Floyt and Alacrity Fitzhugh series, following 'Requiem for a Ruler of Worlds' and 'Jinx on a Terran Inheritance.' It continues the chronicle of the madcap adventures of this odd couple, in the same fast-paced, free-wheeling, and thoroughly enjoyable style as the first two. It, too, can stand on its own -- but is more enjoyable if one is steeped in the wonder and hilarious hysteria of the preceding titles. I consider it a significant tragedy that Brian Daley died of cancer in 1996 before he could continue the stories (if such was indeed his intention). Requiescat en pace, mon ami.

'G'-rated according to me. I consider the content of this book to be suitable reading for all ages.

Alacrity and the Precursors!.......1999-03-26

In this, Daley's third installment of the "Adventures of Hobart Floyt and Alacrity Fitzhugh" (following _Requiem for a Ruler of Worlds_ and _Jinx on a Terran Inheritance_), we go beyond the scope of the original books into the past of Alacrity Fitzhugh--including his real name, his "Captain's Sidearm", and his obsession with the Precursors, an uber-race that has disappeared from the Cosmos--but not before leaving tantalizing technological clues. Much of the story takes place on an inhospitable planet as Floyt, Fitzhugh, and a female companion fight nature to reach an important meeting for the eponymous White Ship of the title. Enjoyable--but it leaves some unanswered questions, which, alas, will now remain that way with Daley's passing.

Average customer rating:

fall of the White Ship Avatar
Brian Daley
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GRL5C4

Average customer rating:

Fall of the White Ship Avatar
Brian (Cover illustration by Darrell K. Sweet.) Daley
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OVAJ8I

Average customer rating:

Fall of the White Ship Avatar
Brian Daley
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000QCBN0I

Average customer rating:

Scones, Muffins, and Tea Cakes: Breakfast Breads and Teatime Spreads

Not my cup of tea...

Good recipes and great read

A Perfect Tea Book!

A Great Resource for Tea Groupies

Scones, Muffins, and Tea Cakes: Breakfast Breads and Teatime Spreads
Heidi H. Cusick
Manufacturer: William Morrow Cookbooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Bread | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Muffins | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Breakfast | Meals | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Simply Scones: Quick and Easy Recipes for More than 70 Delicious Scones and Spreads

Having Tea: Recipes & Table Settings

The London Ritz Book of Afternoon Tea

The Totally Teatime Cookbook (Totally Cookbooks)

The Book of Afternoon Tea (Book of...)

ASIN: 0002252015

Book Description

Delicious and comforting, scones, muffins, tea cakes, and biscuits make classy accompaniments at brunches, teas, luncheons and suppers. They also stand on their own at breakfast snack time.Scones, Muffins & Tea Cakes: Breakfast Breads and Teatime Spreads is an invitingly designed, photographed and priced collection of more than 54 recipes for quick breads and spreads. Many of the recipes and photographs have been chosen from the acclaimed Country Garden Cookbook series, the recipient of prestigious awards for food photography by Deborah Jones and Kathryn Kleinman. Also included; are newly developed recipes that take advantage~ of modern baking equipment such as mini-muffin and tops-only baking pans. Heidi haughy Cusick, the editor of Picnics, has selected a tantalizing assortment of recipes such as Banana and Butternut Squash Bread, Lemon Scones, and Spicy Green Onion Corn Muffins. Scones, Muffins & Tea Cakes also features entertaining tips and original occasion menus, such as "Sunday Morning on the Veranda" and "A Victorian Christmas Tea," plus over 18 recipes for sweet and savory spreads including Lemon Curd, Cranberry and Nectarine jam, Herb Flower Butter, and traditional Clotted Cream.

This definitive assemblage of recipes is lavishly photographed and illustrated to offer cooks not only luscious baking inspiration, but also dozens of versatile serving ideas as well.

Customer Reviews:

Scones, Muffins, and Tea Cakes: Breakfast Breads and Teatime Spreads.......2007-03-31

What a beautifully appointed book. The images and recipes were lovely. I've purchased several books and have given them to several of my friends. If you would enjoy a good tea party then this is the book for you!

Not my cup of tea..........2006-08-10

I was not impressed with the contents of this book. The other
viewers found the recipes to be favorable, but looking through
the recipes, I personally did not find them appealing.

Good recipes and great read.......2005-09-01

The recipes are simple and the text was informative and fun.

A Perfect Tea Book!.......2000-12-19

This book is fabulous! I've made most of the scone recipes and am starting to work my way through the muffins and tea cakes. I usually bring the results in to work, and everyone (Australians and Americans, both) loves the dishes from this cookbook. In addition, the recipes are straight forward, nicely illustrated, and easily lend themselves to experimentation. Excellent book for anyone who likes to bake quick breads of any type.

A Great Resource for Tea Groupies.......1998-10-14

I really enjoyed this book and have used it on many occassions as a resource for my catering business.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books